Sarawak Energy, Mas Gading Community College join forces for entrepreneurial empowerment in longhouse communities in S’wak

A group photo of the participants following the hydroponic course at Rh Nyaun Sungai Duan, Balingian.

KUCHING, Dec 27: Sarawak Energy Berhad’s (Sarawak Energy) corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme and Mas Gading Community College’s (KKMG) Lifelong Learning Unit (PSH) are collaborating to continue the initiative in producing entrepreneurs and improving the socioeconomic status of residents, particularly in longhouse areas around Sarawak Energy’s project developments.

According to a press release issued by KKMG today, Sarawak Energy through the CSR department has collaborated with Mas Gading Community College and the ‘Persatuan Tuai Rumah Jalan Bukut Balingian’ to hold a special programme which is the ‘Woman Empowerment Entrepreneurship’ course, taught by Alice Ajan, and the ‘Hydroponic Planting and Care’ course, taught by Chong Man Lung.

The courses were recently held at Rumah Nyaun Sungai Duan, Balingian.

Florida, the representative of Sarawak Energy at the programme’s closing ceremony, stated that Sarawak Energy’s CSR department will consistently host a number of high-impact skill-building workshops, particularly for rural communities impacted by the development of hydroelectric power projects.

“Sarawak Energy will always work with various government agencies and non-governmental organisations, such as KKMG, which is very close to the local community in the PSH programme, to generate their socioeconomic income, as we are doing today,” she said.

She also mentioned that they will be organising additional courses in collaboration with KKMG in the future, particularly in areas impacted by the development of hydroelectric power projects. These areas include Kapit Division, Sungai Asap in Bintulu, and Balingian.

Meanwhile, KKMG director Shirley Phillip expressed her gratitude on behalf of the college to Sarawak Energy and the Persatuan Tuai Rumah in the area for their trust in KKMG in providing teaching staff and cooperating in making the women and Rumah Nyaun successful in around the longhouse under the area led by Penghulu Jeffery Irut.

“KKMG will continue to cooperate with Sarawak Energy through its CSR department in the future by devising various special programmes for rural communities as we have done with the ‘Persatuan Pertanian dan Penternak Lundu Sematan’ (PETAPEN) and Singai Women’s Bureau Association recently,” she added.

Also present at the closing ceremony were head of Lifelong Learning Unit Mas Gading Community College Lenny Lai Mei Lan, village chiefs of Rumah Panjang Lubuk Bukut, community leaders, officials from Sarawak Energy and Mas Gading Community College. — DayakDaily